Dick Strawbridge, 64, risks political correctness fury with BBC career admission: 'Not allowed to say this'
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Dick Strawbridge admitted he "probably isn't allowed to say" certain things about a work duty he undertook while working at the BBC.
Before shooting to worldwide fame thanks to Escape to the Chateau on Channel 4, Strawbridge lent his talents to a number of BBC projects.
His first foray into television after leaving the army saw him enjoy roles on the BBC's It's Not Easy Being Green, Crafty Tricks of War, Planet Mechanics, and Coast as well as Channel 4's
Away from his new work projects, Strawbridge has opened up about how he and wife Angel Adoree brought their two children, Arthur and Dorothy, to Normandy to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
And it was when discussing how the family marked the occasion that he reminisced about his time covering the event for the BBC.
On their podcast, Dick & Angel's Chat...Eau, Adoree and Strawbridge explained how during their drive to find a parking spot on the day, Strawbridge spotted a bar that prompted him to reflect on when he worked on coverage of the 60th anniversary for the BBC.
"When we were doing the 60th anniversary, every news channel was there and I was working for the BBC at the time," Strawbridge began.
"And they're all saying, 'You're gonna have to find a way to get interviews and talk to veterans because everybody's going to want to talk to the veterans'. And I said, 'That's not difficult'...
"Remember, when I was there, the youngest was 78 at that stage and they went up for another 10 years on top of that, 78 to 90 was the age group.
"And they were all coming along and on the ferry coming across to Normandy, they partied and scared the young people. These blokes were partying like it could've been the last party.
"So they [the BBC] was saying, 'Well, how are we going to get interviews when everybody wants interviews?' And I said, 'It's nice and simple'.
"I went and took over this bar and I put my credit card behind the bar and said, 'Anybody who comes in here who's a veteran gets a drink, say the BBC bought it'."
Strawbridge had another trick up his sleeve but admitted he was slightly apprehensive about sharing it with modern audiences.
Risking the wrath of the politically correct, Strawbridge went on: "And so - and I'm not allowed to say this probably - I said, 'I would like to have a young, buxom assistant help me please to help wave in the soldiers to come along to our bar'.
"And Fleur, who was a lovely, lovely lady, she was bilingual and young and she was the age they would've been when they landed on the beaches and she was so fun and lovely and lively.
"All the old blokes who still thought they were 18, they were all coming into the bar and having a chat with us.
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"One of them turned up on the back of his grandson's motorbike! In his complete Normandy blazer, medals and everything! Stopped outside, came straight in.
"And you know what, it's one of the (biggest) privileges I've ever had."
Strawbridge and Adoree shared several snaps on social media from their family trip to pay their respects at Normandy.
They also recently celebrated a return to Channel 4 with their Secret France docu-series.